You might be aware of the term Asteroid. It’s also possible that you might have come across instances where you heard on the news that an asteroid will pass around the earth and it can possibly hit the earth. In that case, are you aware of what an asteroid is? Ever wondered what these asteroids are that sounds a little threatening.
Additionally you might also be aware of the theory that states dinosaurs became extinct because of a large asteroid colliding with Earth. Luis Walter Alvarez along with his geologist son Walter stated this theory. According to them, 66 million years ago an asteroid hit out earth and led to the death of non-bird dinosaurs and many animals.
If you don’t know what asteroids are, they are large rocky bodies that travels around the Sun in their orbits. Their sizes range from 1-meter rocks to dwarf planets that size up to a 1000 km diameter.
Scientists asserts that the highest number of asteroids are located between Mars and Jupiter. Asteroids are classified into three types namely C-type, M-type and S-type. The identification is based on whether the asteroid composition are carbonaceous, metallic or sillicaceous.
Scientists and astronomers have launched various missions to asteroids. NASA and JAXA counts as contributors for the purpose. NASA’s Near Shoemaker carried out studies on the Eros. On the other hand, Dawn carried out observations on Vesta and Ceres.
Near-Earth asteroids are capable of threatening life on earth.
Jupiter, one of the planet in the solar system has been known to protect earth from asteroids. Scientists are also of the view that the Jupiter is like a vacuum cleaner of the solar system. Jupiter’s gravity is capable of sucking in asteroids and comets.
Jupiter, the largest planet in our Solar System is 2.5 times bigger than the other planets. Additionally it is 318 times more massive and 11 times larger compared to the earth. Jupiter, along with being an enormous gas ball, deflects comets and asteroids coming towards the earth. Jupiter possesses more gravity than the earth. A person weighing 100 pounds on the earth, is likely to weigh around 240 founds on Jupiter.
From time to time, gravitational nudges from passing stars or gas clouds leads to comets unleashing, which comes straight inwards. Jupiter, along with Saturn throw debris completely out of the Solar System, unlike Uranus or Neptune, whose gravity sweep up debris and flings it outwards.
However, recent theories also states that along with deflecting comets and asteroids away from the Earth, it is also capable of drawing in such space constituents. Jupiter can keep the asteroids too stirred. This prevents them from coalescing to a planet. However, this can lead them to collide and rebound towards the Earth.
In the year 194, the Comet Shoemaker – Levy 9 fell apart and its pieces consequently crashed into Jupiter. After that, in the year 2009, another space constituent that was assumed most likely to be a comet broke into Jupiter’s colorful cloud surface and splashed up debris on it. Additionally, it also left a huge black eye.
Thus, scientists and astronomers have considered Jupiter as Earth’s protector for a long time now. New theories and research analysis do present some new considerations that contradicts previous theories, but that’s for another day.
